Brooklyn Bros. shines at new Mukilteo location

I have never had pizza in New York, and, in fact, have never been to New York.So I am wholly unqualified to judge the authenticity of Brooklyn Bros. Pizza, but when I found out that the pizzeria in downtown Everett had opened in Mulkiteo, I thought I would give them a try.I went with my family on a Thursday night because I figured it would be a slow night. I could not have been more wrong; I was shocked to find the line going almost out the door.The restaurant is set up so you go up to the counter to order your food. They give you a number and you find a seat.When I was finally my turn to order, I was told it would be at least an hour for whole pies. I ordered a caprese salad($7.95), bread sticks($5.98), a large pizza, half Bowery (pepperoni, Italian sausage and roasted garlic) and half Bensonhurst (artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, red onion, sun-dried tomato, roasted garlic)($24.95), and one cannoli($3).We took our number and could find a seat only out on the outside deck, where I had a chance to take in our surroundings. The deck is lovely. It has about five picnic tables with sun umbrellas. The interior of the restaurant is someone dark and relaxed, with booths and plenty of big tables for large groups. There is a graffiti wall where you can sign your name with a paint pin, and two tabletop video games; parents, bring quarters next time you visit with the kiddos. Our salad arrived first. All the components were excellent, the tomatoes nice and ripe, the mozzarella creamy and the basil very fresh. It was nice to have that to tide us over till our pizza came. I thought the bread sticks would come out before the pizza but they arrived at the same time. The breadsticks were not really sticks per se. They were more like a loaf of bread scored so you could easily cut them apart, topped with a little butter and dusted with garlic and parmesan cheese. The sauces for breadstick-dipping were ranch and San Marzano tomato sauce, made from the Italian grown tomatoes considered the creme da la creme. I find them high in acidity, bright and very flavorful. The breadsticks were wonderful, but far too many to eat in one sitting by three hungry people with a large pizza to tackle. Our pizza was made in the Napoletana style, which is thin crust with the San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, herbs and roasted garlic that comes on all pizza, plus the other toppings.The pizza was sliced in huge slices that are meant to fold when you eat them.My son, who in a pepperoni devotee, enjoyed the Bowery and I thoroughly enjoyed the Bensonhurst. I loved the crust. It was perfectly cooked, nice and chewy. The toppings did not compete with the crust but enhanced it.After all that, our cannoli, a crisp tube filled with cinnamon-flavored pastry cream with chocolate chips added to the ends, was wonderful. I probably should have ordered three instead of one. It was a nice, sweet ending to a great meal.I definitely want to sample more of Brooklyn Bros.' offerings, particularly the Sicilian, a thick-crust cheese pizza. They offer a huge offering of toppings so you can create your own pizza.And they serve by the slice, which I find wonderful. I have had many of the slices around town and Brooklyn Bros is my favorite place to grab a slice for lunch.They also offer the basic beer and wine selections and the service was outstanding. I will make many visits this summer to have great pizza on their lovely deck.Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria8326 Mukilteo Speedway, Mukilteo; 425-741-8400; bbpmenu.com.Specialty: New York pizza.Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.Vegetarian options: Yes.

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